1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a roping practice apparatus, and more particularly to a roping practice apparatus for simulating motion of the head of an animal to train a roper.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various conventional roping practice apparatuses have been disclosed for simulating the movements of an animal such as a calf to train a roper in roping skill. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,534 B1 entitled “mechanical roping practice device”, U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,618 entitled “movable roping exercise target” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,399 B1 entitled “mechanical roping steer apparatus with enhanced stride simulation” disclose several kinds of roping practice apparatuses for training ropers. A conventional roping practice apparatus generally has a wheeled calf model. The calf model can be pulled and moved through a linkage or a cord to train a roper in roping a moving target.
In order to more realistically simulate the movements of the head of an animal for a roper to exercise more difficult roping skill, the head models of some conventional roping practice apparatuses are movable. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,293,775 B1 entitled “roping practice apparatus” discloses a calf model having a mechanical head section. The head section is provided with a frame body and pivot shafts, whereby the head section can swing left and right. In U.S. Patent No. 2004/0101811 A1 entitled “mechanical dally coach” and U.S. Pat. No. 7,430,990 B1 entitled “mechanical roping steer apparatus with pivoting horns and pivoting horn support”, a head section of an animal model is equipped with a linkage mechanism, whereby the head section can swing up and down. In addition, movable horns are pivotally connected to the head section by pivots. When a roper ropes the horns and tensions/contracts the loop of rope, the horns will be biased about the pivots.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,553 entitled “animated mechanical steer having spring biased head” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,788 entitled “mechanical roping steer”, a complicated linkage mechanism is used to drive a head model to swing back and forth or up and down.
However, the above conventional roping practice apparatuses have some defects in structural design. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,293,775 B1, the head section of the animal model can simply swing from the middle to the left side. In U.S. Patent No. 2004/0101811 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,430,990 B1, the head model is driven by the linkage mechanism to simply swing up and down. Therefore, it is tried by the applicant to provide an improved roping practice apparatus, in which the head model can move within a larger range without limitation to any specific direction so as to more realistically simulate the movements of the head of a live animal. The improved roping practice apparatus has the following advantages:    1. The head model can swing left and right and up and down (or back and forth) within a range of up to 360°. Therefore, the head model can move in such a manner as to more realistically simulate the movements of the head of a live animal.    2. In contrast to the conventional roping practice apparatus that simply adopts the linkage mechanism to drive and swing the head model in a specific direction, the head model of the improved roping practice apparatus can swing without limitation to any specific direction.    3. The improved roping practice apparatus has simplified structure and is easy to assemble/disassemble. Therefore, the manufacturing cost for the roping practice apparatus is lowered.